WHEAT AND BREAD PRICES

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1932, Page 6

WHEAT AND BREAD PRICES

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Your article.in "The Post" is very much to" the point, and you have given a lot of daylight into a question which should have greater -enlightenment!-!-' As .there lias been a shortage of milling wheat this year, and millers, it is stated, have drawn on better grades of fowl wheat, and we can take'it for granted that the bulk of this has been absorbed in grinding, why should not the millers be forced to reduce their prices on the lower landed cost,. which would result in- importing Australian milling, quality? "- .'">".•'■■■ ■'•.' , ■■' :

I certainly consider that a certain amount of protection should be given the Dominion's wheatgrower, but the protection, or rather, "spoon-feeding," has altogether been too highj and even with a business man in the person of Mr. Masters no alteration has been made.

One may ask, is the Government or whoever may be importing the Australian wheat now, buying in the cheapest market'? You mention in your article 3s 3%d f.o.b. Sydney, ,but I am informed.there are quotations even lower. Then, again one may ask, is.the.business of buying this wheat given to any particular firm in New Zealand, or is it in the hands of Australian media?,rlf the latter, commissions presumably are being given to the Commonwealth which should be given here. Then again, with such a big parcel to be imported: as. over 800,000 bushels, special freights would be.quoted, and-this would make the landed cost of the wheat very cheap indeed, to say nothing; of the. exchange advantage. This latter, however, may now be lost, through the delay in getting under way in; importing; Fowl wheat would have,, been much cheaper had Mr. Masters, as Minister in charge of the Department of Industries and Commerce, acted earlier, and the poultry, farmer would have benefited. One would think that the Minister and his Department of Industries and Commerce had discovered only now what was apparent earlier in the year,.and, as your article states, when Australian wheat was cheaper.—l am; etc., ■■.-■■..',■.... HUSK. (To the Editor.) "• Sir,—Here in the latest importation of 550,000 r bushels -of-^wheat from Australia, at a time when famine is threatened in the land, and as the Prime Minister said, over 200,000 are .dependent oh: relief works, was an unequalled occasion to.give the people cheap bread, as this wheat is being bought at half the price of the', local article. It appears the interest of-.the southern growers JB to "prevail, and the1 people are to have no" benefit. Comment- is needless. I. may only add that I ani'one of many who' will, assuredly not vote at the next election to support this sort of thing.-^-I am, etc., ; ..': ■- - '.-'i .'.'■' '.'"■' .-■■■■ xr • «v, ,"■■'-'• Hi GIBSOX; Ngaio, 30th June.